Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Shadwell (LSD-15)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Alpha - Hotel
 NJAH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 24 January 1945)
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1 Dominican Republic) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (1)
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (3-WIA, 24 January 1945)
Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Authorized under the Lend-Lease Act as British Mechanized Artillery Transport Tomahawk (BAPM-7)
  • Reclassified Landing Ship Dock LSD-15, 1 July 1942
  • Contract awarded for LSD-15 to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA., 10 September 1942
  • Assigned the name HMS Tomahawk, date unknown
  • Renamed by the United Kingdom HMS Waterway (F-146), date unknown
  • Lend-Lease canceled or modified never commissioned in Royal Navy
  • Laid down as Shadwell 17 January 1944
  • Launched 14 May 1944
  • Commissioned USS Shadwell (LSD-15), 24 July 1944, LCDR. William K. Brooks in command
  • During World War II, USS Shadwell was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945

  • Following World War II USS Shadwell was assigned to Occupation service from 2 September 1945 to 15 April 1946
  • Decommissioned, 10 July 1947, at Orange, TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet Texas Group, Orange
  • Recommissioned, 20 September 1950, at Orange, TX.
  • Decommissioned, 9 March 1970, at US Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, VA.
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1976
  • Final Disposition, ex-Shadwell is in the custody of the Naval Research Laboratory/Office of Naval Research, Fire Research Det. Little Sands Island Mobile Bay, Mobile AL. as the US Navy damage control test ship
  • USS Shadwell earned one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence, 7 April 1944)
    Displacement 4,032 (light draft), 7,930 (seagoing - loaded)
    Length 457' 9" o.a.
    Beam 72"
    Draft
    8' 2 ½" fwd, 10' ½" aft (light draft)
    15' 5 ½" fwd, 16' 2" aft (seagoing loaded)
    Speed 17 kts (design speed)
    Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
    Complement
    Officers 17
    Enlisted 237
    Landing Craft
    Officers 6
    Enlisted 30
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 218
    Well Deck Capacity (varies with mission)
    three LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or
    two LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or
    fourteen LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or
    forty-seven DUKW or
    forty-one LVT or
    Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
    Aircraft (still in commission in late 40's or early 50's) were fitted/retro-fitted with a prefabricated steel grated "Portable Deck" suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I-beam girders. The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform, enabling the ship to land and launch 1 helicopter at a time. Stowage of helicopters was limited to capacity of the portable deck installed for the mission. Aircraft servicing was limited to re-fueling. With portable deck and aircraft platform installed, the Landing ship, dock was still capable of transporting, launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing craft, utility (LCU) in their well decks.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount in open tub (w/director)
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts (local control)
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 11,720 Bbls
    Diesel 160 Bbls
    Gasoline 5,085 Gals
    Propulsion
    two Newport News Shipbuilding steam turbines
    two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi
    single Newport New Main Reduction Gears
    two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship' Service Generators
    twin propellers, 7,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Shadwell 26k USS Shadwell (LSD-15) underway, date and location unknown.  
    Shadwell 71k USS Shadwell (LSD-15) underway, date and location unknown.  
    Shadwell 101k USS Shadwell (LSD-15) underway, date and location unknown.  
    Shadwell 50k USS Shadwell (LSD-15) in the Arctic ice, circa 1951-1953.  
    Shadwell 1353k USS Shadwell (LSD-15) moored at Genoa, Italy, 1 January 1961. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Shadwell 89k Ex-USS Shadwell (LSD-15) grounded on Little Sand Island in Mobile Bay, AL., as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Photo from "Marine Line.com" Ron Reeves
    USS Shadwell (LSD-15)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Brooks, William Kerr24 July 1944 - ?
     Decommissioned10 July 1947 - 20 September 1950
    02CDR. Lee, C. G.1953 - ?
    03CDR. Hardcastle, Orville E.March 1956 - October 1957
    04CDR. Gehman, Harold WebsterMay 1956 - January 1958
    05CDR. Opeil, Leonard JosephOctober 1957 - January 1959
    06CDR. Morrison, William Fisher :RADMJanuary 1959 - February 1960
    07CDR. Grader, Donald LeeFebruary 1960 - 1961
    09CDR. Heard, Jack Fariss19 April 1963 - 1 August 1964
    10CDR. Lindsey Jr., Wesley Elvin1 August 1964 - 15 December 1965
    11CAPT. Hardgrave Sr., James Barton15 December 1965 - 1968
    12CDR. Hansen, Norman Thomas1968 - 1 July 1969
    13CAPT. Allen1 July 1969 - 17 July 1969
    relieved (collision with USS Cambria)
    14CDR. Miner, Duane Albert17 July 1969 - 9 March 1970
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Shadwell (LSD-15)
    Decommissioning Ceremony Program, 9 March 1970 Contributed by John Robichaux USS Shadwell
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Dock Landing Ship (LSD) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 10 May 2013